A Gai Shan Life

New York (again) on a budget (of sorts)

2009-11-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

NYC was wonderful. No new ode, I still feel the same way. There was perhaps less glitz sparkling in my eyes, but only because the trip was shorter and it took a little longer for the rigors of traveling cross-country to wear off.

May I recommend, by the by, always using SeatGuru.com before selecting your seats? It's truly my own fault, but I felt like I was being punished for using an award ticket to travel. The outbound flight was ok, but the seat I was squished into on the return flight: a] wouldn't recline (way to pick the row in front of the emergency exit), the overhead light was broken, and b] was right next to the galley where business class's delectables were prepared and wheeled past me. Pasta, garlic bread, and brownies, oh my!

First, in pictures.....

My preflight and inflight snack system ...

DFW's downright neighborly .....

Woefully underdressed upon my arrival, TopShop and I immediately became acquainted. Those tights were really expensive but oh-so-warm. They were daily wear: kept my legs warm AND kept my feet from blistering up a storm in the new flats.

Citi sponsored free ice skating in Bryant Park. Am I the only one thinking that Citi shouldn't be sponsoring anything at all right now?

Mamoun's [just off the Astor Place subway stop] makes a mean schwarma sandwich. That was some amazing deliciousness for $5.

Gorgeous weather in the city ...

I truly wish that I'd inserted my ARM in the photo for scale. That rib bone lying across the top was the size of my forearm. That platter was well worth the $22. [Blue Smoke restaurant, home of the first time I've had an amazing oyster.]

"Not to rub it in, but my treat because I can get this any time. I live here, you don't!"
I hate you, friend. I love you and I hate you.

You, Ippudo, I love. Always. Home of the snarkiest [in a good way] waitstaff ever.

Waiter overhearing a reference to San Diego: "You're from CA?"
"Yes."
"I knew it. I just knew it'd play out like that!"
"??"

Waiter: "Miss? Miss? Would you like an extra bowl of noodles?"
Me: *mouth terribly full of pork*
Friend: Uh, she can't talk right now, she just stuffed herself full of pork.
Waiter: Runs Away.
Me: *mouth still full* Wait!

Waiter to my sloooow-eating friend: "Can I take this away already?"
We: point and laugh at her.

Furry friends

Bye bye, awesome NYC food. Airport food [4 oz veggie orzo, 4 oz red potato salad, 2 oz chips: $6.50]

Then, in numbers .....
Ticket: $7.50
Day One: $29
Day Two: $62.50
Day Three-Five: $0
Day Six: $30
Day Seven: $95
Day Eight: $44.50
Total: $ 268.50

It's a total budget cheat that I paid next to nothing for transportation [about $40 for airfare and Metro] and nothing at all for lodgings due to the repeat generosity of my friends. What kind of advice could really be derived from this? Have good friends in strategic places? For what it's worth, I absolutely intend to pay it forward.

I spent a ton on clothes: $55 at TopShop for 2 pairs of tights and a pair of leggings. They're all super comfortable and made of good material which is not the case for the discounted stuff I found at Filene's [and they made me look funny.]

There was also a Blitzkrieg trip to H&M where I picked up a grey sweaterdress, black belt and white long sleeve for another $50. The sweaterdress replaces a black cowl-neck dress (circa 2002) and is now falling apart. The long sleeve is the beginning of my replacing ratty old long sleeved layers (circa 2004).

Mailbag and Home again!

2009-11-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happily, no jet lag, but definitely a little discombobulation after returning home late. The suitcase remains unpacked which is distinctly odd - opening mail and unloading the suitcase are usually the first things I do when I get home.

Some ramblings for y'all 'til I get it together ....

Audio
Had Ramit on in the background for 45 seconds.

Water Bill
48% decrease. What happened?

Piperlime
These shoes came in, but the day after 7 hours of travel and fat feet is not the time to try on new shoes. I mostly ordered them to check for fit (they have free shipping and free returns), and for the $25 off next purchase coupon.

Returns pile
I went to the trouble of buying a pack of AAA batteries in NY for my mouse. That I left at home in CA. And then found out that I actually just needed a single AA. Back to Walgreens later today.

Cobra/Open Enrollment
This is a whole other post - but turns out I still get to participate in O.E. this November. Oh goody! New rates! Oh wait. ...

Netbook lust
I was woefully out of touch this past week because my regular laptop [which I love!] is just too heavy to schlock around the city. The longing for a netbook is pushing me to consider .... dun-dun-duuunnnn.... BLACK FRIDAY!

Feel free to weigh in on that last topic, folks, recommendations, warnings, etc. No enabling necessary! I have set the boundary: it has to be under $200.

The 7-minute lunch

2009-11-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

Aren't these tomatoes beautiful? Eight ounces of mini mozzarella balls cost the same as a 8-oz chunk of the cheese that I'd normally buy; I'm glad I went with these little dollops instead. They were much easier to serve, just peel open the jar and plop - place gently - on the sliced tomatoes. A dash of olive oil and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar finished the plating nicely.

This salad was served with a side of buttered crumpets that I have no photos of because, er, I devoured them. They were awfully pretty, toasted, but you'll just have to take my word for it. Sorry!

It's a shoe-down!

2009-11-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

The flats-finding mission: When my last pair of flats destroyed my feet, the objective was simple: a pair of basic black flats, comfortable, fashionable, flexible for most events, $40 and under.

Thanks to Chelsea Bea's online shopping ninja-ry, we put together The Deal.

DSW.com
+ Free shipping for orders over $35 [FALLSHP, no stated exp. date]
+ $5 off $49 or more [OCTPKG, code implies it's good until end of Oct]
+ 30% off any single purchase of $35 or more [code expired, via RetailMeNot.com]
+ ebates.com (4% cash back)
= 29% savings after DSW sale prices

This is what they looked like online:

A) Mia Hepburn Reptile Flats
B) Seychelles Frayed Ballet Flats

And this is how they fit:

A) The reptile flats were hands-down soft and comfortable, but that very squishiness may be cause for concern. Will it be sturdy enough to last? The shoe is stamped "leather upper" but the part around the heel is less leather and more ... cardboard? I can't really tell. It's really soft, again, but seems more papery. I have to pick up something from my shoe repair/tailor shop, I can ask the shoe guy to take a look and give me his opinion. (listed $39.95, paid 27.97 after all discounts.)

B) The ballet flats were very cute, and interesting, and did not squish my toes at all. The downside was that the sole was hard as concrete, and the upper was just about as forgiving. Though I knew size 6 was probably a little generous when I ordered, this brand's 6 definitely does not fit me, at least not in this style. Too hard, too roomy, and my heel slid out too easily. These guys are getting dropped off back at the next DSW I pass by. (listed $29.94, paid 29.57 after all discounts. To be fair, it was because of adding this shoe to the order that I got the free shipping [$7.95] and the extra $5 off to cover all taxes.)

Rules of money engagement

2009-11-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

The guest post on Money Tips from Poker at Bargaineering gave me a different perspective on the conversation we're having at Fabulously Broke about personal spending limits.

As a once and former overachieving student, I like rules. Not because they're limiting and I like to obey, but because they offer a benchmark to measure performance and the opportunity to go you one better, much like the Stretch goal is to the SMART goal. You've got to set the original goal first before you can beat it. [Note: I like my rules best. Who doesn't?]

That's why I kept moving my savings goals up as soon as I reached them - it's boring not to have something to reach for. That's not to say my rules don't know how to limbo, they totally do. And have. And probably will again. It's ok, as long as I don't completely shatter the major ones.

When talking about the upper spending limits we set and why, it seems we all have a personal comfort level up to which we can spend. Spend more than that and we're big squirmy excuse-making babies trying to justify the price tags. Or maybe that's just me ......

But I don't know anyone who has a mathematical reason for why this can cost up to $100, but that can only cost $15. The general levels rise and fall according to the feeling that one set of pricing is ok and the other is not, but why not set rules with a basis in fact? Mathematical rules? Ones that are rational? I'm talking about the bankroll management from the article.

I love the idea of setting your levels of spending by multiples of your available cash. In the article, the example is between 30-50 multiples of the bankroll. I'd like to steal that formula as is, but it doesn't quite work out because my expense budget is vastly smaller than my entire bankroll. I'm protective of my savings, the multiple would be something insane like 300.

In our cases, that formula could translate into a percentage of the clothing budget. If you're planning to save $100/month for clothing, perhaps each season gets 25%, or a weighted percentage because coats on sale tend to cost much more than bathing suits on sale. By a ratio of 5 to 1, in fact. If I were doing this, Winter would get 40%, and the other 3 seasons get 20%. That's not precisely fair, but it's probably more true to shopping reality than people realize. Breaking that down:

Winter: $480
Spring: $240
Summer: $240
Fall: $240

Right off the bat that tells you not to spend $400 before tax on a winter coat unless that's the only thing you're going to buy.

Of course, seasonality is only one way to break that down. You could just take that whole annual budget of $1200 and allocate 80% for staples like jeans, daily wear shoes, accessories, etc.; 20% for specialty items.

Truthfully much of this is hypothetical for me because I don't yet have a clothing budget. I'm definitely still just saying "$100 is too much for jeans, I'll pay up to $40 for them" and "No summer dress can cost more than $20." As soon as my budget changes, though, I think it'd be great to implement a set of rational rules that I didn't just make up as I encounter sales.

Game time!

2009-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

I got a free Nintendo DS Lite (2nd gen)!! A friend bought himself a brand new DS, we were chatting about the pricematch he got on it thanks to his new Google phone the other day, and out of the blue, he offered to mail his old one to me. It's darling. White, shiny, little, probably fits in a jacket pocket.

This pretty much requires that I spend money. Oops. I won't be rushing out to buy everything immediately because I didn't budget anything for fun accessories and don't have time to play it anyway but this is the wish list:

First, a screen protector: The Hori Protector runs about $10.

Second, a protective skin: Perhaps Depths by Lawrence Yang?
Loose Leaf by Derek Prospero?
Sugar Head In The Sky by Brandi Milne?
The Enamored Whale by Alberto Cerriteno?

Third, A Game! I have no idea what game I want yet. I'm just pretty much elated to have a little gaming device of my very own for the first time. We shared a Gameboy when I was a kid, but all the games were pretty much my brother's, so I played on sufferance.

I liked Professor Layton when I tried it on one friend's DS, was completely bored by Cooking Mama when I tried it on another. Should I go with a puzzle game? I hear there's a form of Bejeweled coming out sometime, or perhaps an RPG? The World Ends with You could keep me occupied for-ev-er. Ooh or! I could maybe get My Japanese Coach!

Whatever I choose, it'll have to wait until I've saved up enough Swagbucks to redeem for Amazon gift certificates. And I only have 89 SB right now so... this could be a while. S'ok, I'm happy enough for now. :)

Weekend Spend, and a Carnival!

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Kelly's hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance at The Centsible Life this week, go check it out!

My money this weekend was the opposite of my five No Spend weekdays.

My haircut (months overdue) and eyebrow wax (weeks overdue): $25 after tips
Snack: $3.72
Tailor: $37
Returned items: -$32.86
Fruit: $0.98
Pizza: $5
Total: $39.88 [I'm not using the return to offset the spending, it's part of another transaction entirely.]

October Snapshot: Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Retirement Savings	Total: $34,001 (34,951)
Emergency Savings	Total: $36,741 (36,887)
Short Term Goals	Car Maintenance: $2,223 Insurance: $2,439 Travel/Con: $550 Taxes: $3,590 Moving: $2,894 Total: $11,696 (12,863)
Long Term Goals	House Down Payment: $102
Investments	TradeKing: $1,095 Prosper-ish Loan: $12,630 Personal Loan: $1,500 Savings Bond: $362 (current accrued value) Total: $ 15,587 (15,586)
Total Assets	Illiquid: $34,001 Semi-Liquid: $15,587 Liquid: $36,741 Expense Acct: $7,156 Goals Savings: $11,696 Total: $ 105,181 (107,893)
Debt and Liabilities	AmEx: $653 Chase: $1,580 Rent: $1,360 Total: $3,593 (4,014)
Net Worth	$101,588 (103,879)

A few thoughts .....

Once again we have problems with Yodlee "updating" their site which means problems. This time, the drop down menu that should allow me to update account passwords won't actually drop down. Those accounts'll just have to remain inaccessible for now.

Wonky math. Somewhere in the emergency funds, we've got math gone wrong and I can't figure it out. Last month, I was down $76. This month, $146. A difference of $222 total when the only outbound transaction from those accounts is a single $500 borrow when I needed to open a Chase account for a bonus offer. I'm starting to wonder if I just made a clerical error at some point?

Losing steam. I'm sliding dangerously close to the other side of the 6 figure mark. I apparently both miscalculated the bare bones scenario upon layoff, and have been traveling a LOT more than planned. The solution? Find a full time J-O-B! But also finish my classes with high marks because I've paid a good chunk of change for them. Which, of course, leads me to Item the Next:

Big things next month! Midterms, a trip to the Big Apple, a trip to the Big Island, hosting a Carnival, and final exams!

Business, Friendship, and Money Etiquette

2009-10-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have no problems with making sure that my purely personal friendships jive well when money's involved; I pay my way and assist friends in need within reason, we're honest with each other about our limits, and it generally works out pretty well. I have no problem with keeping my business money separate from personal money in a corporate environment, and generally dining out with the office has always been fairly straightforward: the office paid. But what of the gray area in between? Specifically, when you're networking and not interviewing with or working for the person you're dining with?

From a purely business perspective, my friend/mentor advised me not to quibble over who paid the bill when I dined out with an older, successful, networking acquaintance. "He can most certainly afford it, he invited you, and he can always write it off," she asserts. These points were all true, at the time. The person in question is both gracious and helpful whenever possible leads come up, and has since taken the initiative to point me and my resume at highly placed persons who were interviewing for desirable positions. [At which point it's up to me so that there isn't impropriety or influence on my behalf which I would never ask for or expect.]

But what happens when the acquaintance morphs into a semi-friendship? When you're meeting to catch up and tell stories, it's no longer 100% business. I feel like that development then brings with it the obligation to offer to, and even insist on, paying sometimes. It's only fair. I don't want my acquaintance/now friend to think that I simply expect a great meal at his expense; that's certainly not the case.

I'm aware that insisting on footing the bill when he has selected the restaurant, when he is more than financially comfortable [yes, finances have come up in the conversation in a career-related turn], and/or when I am unemployed seems to smack more of irrational pride than sense. But I'm unemployed, not destitute, and it hardly seems right to assume that I shouldn't pay simply because I don't have access to a corporate account. That seems like a recipe for brewing resentment; the line of reasoning that "you have more money than I, so let's use your resources, thanks!" doesn't sit well with me. Neither party's resources should determine who pays. It can certainly influence the selection of the experience, but I think fair means that both parties take it in turn to pay.

How does the financial relationship change when your business relationship acquires shades of the personal? How should it?

[Disclosure: This post is also published at the Carnival of Personal Finance.]

The case for capers

2009-10-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

I had to switch from an interesting stuffed bell pepper recipe found on Oil and Garlic that called for a tuna base to a boring old ground beef version because I couldn't find capers today. This isn't unusual; any recipe that calls for capers always gives me pause because I don't want to buy a whole jar of capers only to use a single teaspoon. It made sense until I started tallying the recipes I've passed on simply because it wouldn't taste right without capers.

I should buy capers so I can make these stuffed bell peppers/ripieni [Oil and Garlic].
This Halibut with Lemon, Butter, Caper and Dill Sauce [Closet Cooking].
This Tilapia Piccata [Closet Cooking].

What else should I make with capers? And why are they listed as "non-pareil" type capers? I know the definition of non-pareil for laymen, but not why or how it applies to capers/foodstuffs.

Shadow-chasing

2009-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

I don't really sleep at night anymore. Trying to sleep is like cricket hunting. As soon as you think you're close, the very awareness of your being so drives it away. You know it's there, but sleep doesn't have a substance you can grab onto and hold tight until it surrenders. You give up first...... Hours later, you might accidentally, caught unawares by your prey, drift off.

Some nights, that doesn't happen until an inexplicable egg craving is satisfied. The poached egg with melted string cheese on a whole wheat English muffin is one way to go. It's just missing a few slices of tomato to make it a full breakfast rather than just a post-post-midnight snack. Or perhaps the very lateness of the concoction makes it breakfast. I don't really know. I just want muffins to come in two halves and a quarter so I can sop up all the runny egg yolk goodness.

Wielding the big pen

2009-10-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

There are some days when it feels like the big bad news is torrential, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Usually you can't. But there's almost always something you can try to make it better: use your words.

vs. State of California

I called EDD five times a day since reading that letter, caught in the mill of bureaucracy. I kicked myself, over and over, for scheduling my trip for the exact day that they wanted a phone interview. "But," I thought, "nothing I can do but keep on calling." Until I really listened to the voice prompts, and realized one day that they change slightly. They mentioned Saturday service during which most services would not be offered but that representatives would be available to help log online requests. You'd better believe I was all over that website again, searching for that elusive online option. I found a series of drop down menus that would suffice, and I wrote a thorough explanation for why a phone interview wasn't necessary. They provided a list of some 20-odd questions I had to be prepared to answer: I answered all of them in that form. At the end of it, I clicked "send" with a prayer.

Result: Win.

vs. county of San Diego

Immediately after receiving those fines, I fired off letters disputing the Toll Evasion Accusations. In detail, I pointed out all the problems with paying a toll for which the amount was unstated. I stopped short of making any nasty comments and offered to pay the original toll fee.

Result: 80% Win. They want me to pay the original toll, plus $10 (vs. the original $50 fee) to cover their collection and processing. To justify this, they're calling the judgment "we're right, but we'll reduce the fee this one time for you. Just pay our costs." Uh huh. Jerks.

$39 cost to me, with a $120 discount.

vs. online class instructor

On a short quiz of only 10 questions, with a forced completion time, the percentage point loss when two of the questions are poorly worded is substantial. I ran the possible equations, closed my eyes and picked a set of answers to submit - and lost the 50/50 gamble. I sent the instructor an email letting him know the questions were ambiguous, and that I had run the numbers correctly supposing one of two interpretations. I didn't ask for my points back since he had to first acknowledge that my interpretations were valid.

Result: Win. The HTML had incorrectly rendered his text, and the question was posted incorrectly. Points were returned to me.

Have you argued or negotiated your way to victory lately? Will you, now? Do share! I've got a few more pots on the stove bubbling away, I'll fill you in on those when the incubation period is over.

Study schedule

2009-10-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hel-lo, GCal! Where have you been all my life?

I've finally cracked down and logged all my classwork on the calendar, quizzes, homework, etc., and figured out how to get three weeks' worth of work done over the next seven days to make sure that schoolwork doesn't follow me on my trips. GCal sends me ~~annoying~~ helpful reminder emails when events on the calendar approach or should be happening, which is great because I'm still getting the hang of it.

During that time, I'm also ....
1) logging about 12 hours of babysitting time to help out my friends who have doctor's appointment and bad backs. Between the three of us, you might be able to construct one fully functional human sans aches and pains.
2) visiting a cousin (maybe)
3) packing and making a shopping list for clothing I might need depending on the NY weather
4) paying bills
5) making an insanely decadent mac and cheese for friend's Halloween hang-out night.

Am I missing anything? Oh yes, actual studying. You know, so I can take those exams without failing. That'd be nice.

Sunday Shopping Wins

2009-10-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

It was with great regret I forwent sushi last night. I will eventually, I don't have FB + her BF's fantastic sushi skills, but I didn't feel right dining out just to satisfy a craving. (Ok, I shouldn't have linked that, the sushi cravings are back!!

Anyway, in lieu of spending $20 on sushi or some such, I went grocery shopping instead:

Vons (aka Safeway)
7 pounds of chicken drumsticks on 50% clearance
6.5 pounds of center cut boneless pork loin
1 (8-ct) pkg turkey hot dogs on clearance
1 loaf whole wheat (Orowheat, my favorite!)
1 (6-ct) pkg English muffins
4 ripe bananas

Total: $25.61

Walgreens [The assistant manager was a little perturbed because I pointed out that I'd stupidly printed over my coupon - it was mostly legible but I was prepared for rejection - but he took it anyway. Nice guy.]

1 (24-tab) Zantac [w/$5 coupon]
Total: $4.68 + $9 Register Rewards printed up.

That's going to be enough protein to last well over a month and enough carbs for a week. Now, at last! I can try some of those delectable pork chop recipes I've been reading. The freshly baked French bread loaves were tantalizing, but tearing myself away was worth the effort - I might never have made it to the meat aisle if it was in my cart. Come to think of it, this is probably the 5th time potato chips were promised and forgotten. Ah well. Next time.

Carnival Blogging

2009-10-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've got a couple posts up over at the Carnival of Personal Finance site:

Is frugality fading?
Family, Money, and Loans: Featured in Studenomic's Saturday link round-up!

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2009-10-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Cooking recap/pretasting: This has the potential to be the worst recipe ever. My taste test of the original recipe with honey was rather sickening. I only used one round of that terrible tomato-honey blend, and used salt, pepper and another 8 oz of tomato sauce trying to counter the overpowering honey taste. And there was too much mixture left over at the end (about 12 oz?). My hopes aren't high, but that was a lot of work so I hope hope hope that it works out. And now, on to the pictures!

Prep Time!

The recipe did not call for garlic. But garlic is oh-so-right.

This pan has seen better times. I didn't do that to it.

+ Rice

+ Tomato Sauce Blend.

After +salt +pepper and +plain tomato sauce to counter the honey blended sauce.

Ready for the oven!

Voila!

Final Verdict: A smidge heavy on the pepper, and really wish I'd skipped the honey entirely. Now I know. And knowing's half the battle.

Final Cost: Peppers: 2 x 89 cents/pepper = $1.78
Beef: (Expensive at) $2/lb.
Tomato Sauce: 3 x 27 cents/can = 71 cents
Onion: 50 cents
Rice: already cooked at home
Garlic, Honey, pepper, salt: already in the cupboard
Total: $5.20

What I didn't buy this week

2009-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Privo Kivas were on sale at 6pm.com for $14.95 plus $7.95 shipping. I couldn't find any deals on the shipping, and they don't pay for returns, so I passed. The price is now back up to $41, only ~50% off of MSRP.
Regret factor: Low. My blistered feet don't thank me for this pass. On the other hand, I didn't know how comfortable they'd be or how they'd fit, so I would have been out $8+ return shipping if they weren't good.

This cute silk ruffle scarf top from Banana Republic. Available in my size in teal or purple for $19.99, but hand wash only, and no free shipping.

Regret factor: Medium. My non t-shirt wardrobe is mostly variations on the button down shirt theme, and I've been looking for a few nice shirts that could be casual but not t-shirt casual. But hand wash only always gives me pause, I've got to be very particular about how much more complication I bring to my life and hand wash isn't high on that list.

The sweaterdress from Kohl's on sale for $23.99. It was cute, and even fit me, but the neckline is just a little too wide, and the fabric was on that side of scratchy. Probably not the best of materials.

Regret factor: Low. Knit clothing is always iffy in my book because of the care needed so whatever I purchase has to look stunning to be worth the extra work.

And for the return bin.....

This has to be the last of my close, but no cigar, interview tote attempts. The straps aren't designed to drop down/bend so they either stick straight up or bend very unattractively. It's only a matter of time before they start cracking and breaking.

"Keep Unread" could be my undoing

2009-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

That "keep unread" option on Google Reader always seemed like a good thing until I started abusing it. (Isn't that always the way it is?) I wanted to keep everything from My Money Blog, or whichever blog I was skimming, unread because it's all useful information. It became the electronic equivalent of filing paperwork: I'd open something, note that it was interesting, and then Keep Unread so I could deal with it later.

Voila! I made Google Reader three times less efficient! Not only do I only skim the post the first time 'round, I'm not acting on it and saving it for later. While I skip around Reader not doing anything about the interesting post, I'm wading hip deep in Read-but-save-for-later posts. When I finally get 'round to dealing with them, I've got a huge stash of posts that need attention.

*Shame on me!*

No real promises, but I'm trying to keep the clicking of "Keep Unread" under control. I take a second to think about whether I really need the information, or if I truly plan on using it. Or commenting, even. If I wanted to comment on it, just go do so. If not, read and move on.

It's amazing how easily a new bad habit can form without conscious thought. I wonder if that's how MOST bad habits start?

Please vote!

2009-10-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'd love it if you guys voted for my bag in Well-Heeled's blog contest. No pressure. :) But it would sure go a long way to funding Christmas shopping this year since my gift fund is sort of ... depleted.

It's already October! I can't believe I only have one gift, and that's practically a cheat because those comic books are purchased in July every year.

Has anyone started making their gift lists yet? Their wish lists? Anything?

Online appeal worked!!

2009-10-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

After the dozens of failed calls to EDD, after getting hung up on every single time I thought I'd successfully navigated the phone maze, after every frantic attempt to jigger my schedule to make time for a phone interview ....

I sent a long, thorough (polite!) email through the system explaining my online classes and how they don't interfere with my job search.

And I just got an email saying: Your online courses have been approved. The telephone interview has been cancelled. Your check will be mailed tomorrow with the subsequent claim form.

Note: Now we'll see what the forms say, and if they make up for lost time. But in the meantime, my budget is sighing a small sigh of relief.

Countering an ant invasion

2009-10-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Isn't it ironic that for all that we empathize with the long-laboring, store-it-up-for-the-winter Ant Fable, many of us are waging war against the industrious ant? Reporting back after three weeks of combat, wielding Terro as recommended by J.D. at Get Rich Slowly and Funny About Money, I don't feel guilty one bit.

Those darn things get into everything, inside, outside, food, drink, swarm over anything the least bit interesting, eat through walls, chew holes in fabric. And they swarm. Like locusts! Or, you know, ants.

Funny makes a good point: you don't want to eradicate ants completely because they are an essential part of the ecosystem. I'm not out for complete extermination. Be as that may, they don't belong inside my home! (or dishwasher, or closet, or under my sinks.) And until they respect those boundaries, I will continue to hold the lines.

Terro is the ultimate two dollar magic. I kid you not, even though the packaging states that you may have to wait two weeks to clear out the problem, it took less than 24 hours for the three battalions and supply lines to disappear completely from the front of my house.

The tradeoff was apparently that the eradication was short-term (about a week's worth of ant-free zone), but another quick application of Terro to a central location a week later and the next wave of exploratory ants was gone. If you're having ant problems, I highly recommend that you check the local garden supply shop, I bought mine from Lowe's, and pick up a clear little bottle of peace of mind.

Now if someone can help me get rid of the flies! (I feel like I live in a barn. But the dogs keep opening the door and letting flies in!)

Opting out, and why

2009-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

As the weeks go by, engagements are piling up right and left, and my travel obligations are too. New York, Hawaii, New York for a wedding (?), Greece for another (?), and now a fishing trip?

I had to say no. Though, it was my own darned idea! I haven't gone fishing, properly fishing, since I was eight. And I hadn't seen these friends in 3 years, they wanted to go fishing, perfect, no? But I didn't realize that even though the timing was right, a 24-hour fishing trip in Ensenada, the money was not. It was estimated to run right around $75 or more, and this after I'd already committed to a thing on the East Coast in two weeks, and Hawaii two weeks after that. The travel fund is already gasping, I don't have the extra $75.

And if I did, honestly, I'd rather it went to Rina's best friend who just lost her husband. The donation I could send seems too paltry. So even though it was my big mouth that started the ball rolling on planning a fishing trip, you've got to pick and choose sometimes, and this is one of those times. And every other invitation that involves more than $10 a pop will likely be one of those times, too.

No pictures for the squeamish

2009-10-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

But guys.... you should really see it. I went to the Cal-UCLA game today, wore flats that are now officially dead to me, and now my pinky toe (the worst casualty of many) has become a blister. That's it. It's like I've got a blister with a toenail for a toe now. It's so gross. And I have other blisters to watch, too.

Oh but that's not the only reason I'm sharing it with you. I was scolded for wearing my flats with a tank top and shorts. I was told it was a "faux pas." It's in quotes because I think it's preposterous. You can wear flats with shorts, right? Have I lost my mind? Was that pre-heat stroke wardrobing?

Book Review: Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel

2009-10-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Given the number of reviews floating around the blogosphere, this post is clearly overdue. Procrastination happens, folks.

Now, there's been all kinds of anti-Phil uproar, as there should be. Phil is a terrible terrible man. If you read page 63, F U I Don't Text, you'll see that he's stolen my entire rant against the cellular phone company. *smh* (Never mind that it's mostly in my head.....)

Anyway, that might be the most sane advice you'll find in this book because the rest of Phil's recommendations, while creative and sometimes hilarious, can border on outrageous, insane, or outright wrong wrong wrong!

The BarKeep, for example, so blatant in its wrongness that Phil himself admits he wouldn't pull it. But that's the only one he wouldn't stoop to, apparently.

To balance out that wrongness, intentionally or not, is a reference to Voltron wars. For what it's worth, that won me back just a bit. :)

Who's stylin'?

2009-10-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Stacking Pennies started a great conversation about the search for style, and I heartily agreed with oilandgarlic's sentiment about being far sportier than glamorous. That doesn't mean I'm ready to throw in the towel just yet, though, and I wanted to share this fashion blog I just discovered:

http://www.academichic.com

It's written by three PhD candidates who are defying the poorly dressed academician stereotype. The whole academically-themed site is just too cute and their content is excellent. The photos are accompanied by an outfit breakdown so that if you wanted to, presumably, you could steal a little style!

One of the best parts is that you can see that much of their wardrobe pieces are obtainable from regular stores; it's no haute couture.

The posts, like their fashion, are very pulled together. I'm going to be lurking about over there absorbing color combinations, layering and accessories. I highly recommend it!